Comments on: The Top 10 British Prime Ministers http://listverse.com/2007/10/25/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/ Ultimate Top 10 Lists - Listverse Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:23:23 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: pc209 http://listverse.com/2007/10/25/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-219760 pc209 Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:56:23 +0000 http://listverse.com/politics/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-219760 @102 Nice to see that the standard of comment has not declined while I’ve not been commenting @102
Nice to see that the standard of comment has not declined while I’ve not been commenting

]]> By: yamumisac0w http://listverse.com/2007/10/25/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-218716 yamumisac0w Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:08:40 +0000 http://listverse.com/politics/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-218716 wait what, am i reading the right profile why is this fucker number one it sounds like he only crapped on the uk wait what, am i reading the right profile why is this fucker number one it sounds like he only crapped on the uk

]]> By: Nik http://listverse.com/2007/10/25/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-212801 Nik Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:28:09 +0000 http://listverse.com/politics/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-212801 why is sir robert peel not on this list? terrible! why is sir robert peel not on this list?

terrible!

]]> By: MacDimples http://listverse.com/2007/10/25/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-202680 MacDimples Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:15:33 +0000 http://listverse.com/politics/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-202680 I would put Churchill ahead of Atlee but I don't disagree with you. As a peace time leader Atlee was probably the best, making good common sense decisions which were good because they were also inevitable. But Thatcher? She caused huge unrest and was a sabre-rattling dinosaur. I find it hard to believe she was the leader of our country for so long, she really was unbelievably discompassionate towards people and she wouldn't last 5 mins in an election race today. What a strange people we are. Blair was hugely successful in lots of ways but despicable in others. I don't miss the lies and spin, but I do miss the economic prosperity. I wouldn't ever rule out a comeback, I think he is getting Brown out of the way and he will come back to reunite Labour. Very interesting list, man I love this site! I would put Churchill ahead of Atlee but I don’t disagree with you. As a peace time leader Atlee was probably the best, making good common sense decisions which were good because they were also inevitable.

But Thatcher? She caused huge unrest and was a sabre-rattling dinosaur. I find it hard to believe she was the leader of our country for so long, she really was unbelievably discompassionate towards people and she wouldn’t last 5 mins in an election race today. What a strange people we are.

Blair was hugely successful in lots of ways but despicable in others. I don’t miss the lies and spin, but I do miss the economic prosperity. I wouldn’t ever rule out a comeback, I think he is getting Brown out of the way and he will come back to reunite Labour.

Very interesting list, man I love this site!

]]> By: chris http://listverse.com/2007/10/25/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-185825 chris Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:16:40 +0000 http://listverse.com/politics/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-185825 An interesting list, but I think lacking in a number of respects. Perhaps it should have been limited to the 20th Century. There are two notable absentee Lloyd George and Harold Wilson. Lloyd George in an efficient manner managed the World War 1 after a poor war time premiership of Asquith. Indeed under Asquith the cabinet only met monthly despite the fact of the country was a great peril. Lloyd George was a towering political figure in the first half of the 20th Century. He would in my estimation probably sit just below Churchill. Harold Wilson was a very different figure, he is the only prime minister to be appointed after 4 elections 1964,1966 and twice in 1974. His time was one of a diminishing role of the UK in the work, a reduction in economic might and the rise of trade union power. However when Roy Jenkins was his Home Secretary there was a liberalism in social policy. We also have to remember that many lives were saved from then with the introduction of speed limits on the roads. Industrial relation legilation was probably his weakness and failing to support Barbara Castle's In Place of Strive was a great weakness. Edward Heath is placed at number 10, to me he is one of the Conservative Party's weakest leader. He inflated the economy so that it got out of control in the first part of his premiership, followed by measures to control domestic inflation at a time when world commodity prices (particularly oil) increased steeply. He went to the country during the miners second strike, when industry was on a three day week and households were often living without lighting and heating. Despite natural opposition to the effects of industrial unrest he still failed to win the election, or the subsequent one later in 1974. Whilst Callaghan was probably not a good prime minister we do have the appreciate the inheritance that first Wilson and he inherited from Heath. There is no mention of Major, who again not a particularly good prime minister did turn the unpopularity of Thatcher (and she was particularly so over the Poll Tax) which would have led to certain electoral defeat, to a victory. I agree that Atlee is head and shoulders above the rest, he has influenced the lives of all post war generations, whether they even know the name of a "modest man, with much to be modest about" as he was described by Churchill (who he ousted by a landslide) An interesting list, but I think lacking in a number of respects. Perhaps it should have been limited to the 20th Century.

There are two notable absentee Lloyd George and Harold Wilson.

Lloyd George in an efficient manner managed the World War 1 after a poor war time premiership of Asquith. Indeed under Asquith the cabinet only met monthly despite the fact of the country was a great peril. Lloyd George was a towering political figure in the first half of the 20th Century. He would in my estimation probably sit just below Churchill.

Harold Wilson was a very different figure, he is the only prime minister to be appointed after 4 elections 1964,1966 and twice in 1974. His time was one of a diminishing role of the UK in the work, a reduction in economic might and the rise of trade union power. However when Roy Jenkins was his Home Secretary there was a liberalism in social policy. We also have to remember that many lives were saved from then with the introduction of speed limits on the roads. Industrial relation legilation was probably his weakness and failing to support Barbara Castle’s In Place of Strive was a great weakness.

Edward Heath is placed at number 10, to me he is one of the Conservative Party’s weakest leader. He inflated the economy so that it got out of control in the first part of his premiership, followed by measures to control domestic inflation at a time when world commodity prices (particularly oil) increased steeply. He went to the country during the miners second strike, when industry was on a three day week and households were often living without lighting and heating. Despite natural opposition to the effects of industrial unrest he still failed to win the election, or the subsequent one later in 1974.

Whilst Callaghan was probably not a good prime minister we do have the appreciate the inheritance that first Wilson and he inherited from Heath.

There is no mention of Major, who again not a particularly good prime minister did turn the unpopularity of Thatcher (and she was particularly so over the Poll Tax) which would have led to certain electoral defeat, to a victory.

I agree that Atlee is head and shoulders above the rest, he has influenced the lives of all post war generations, whether they even know the name of a “modest man, with much to be modest about” as he was described by Churchill (who he ousted by a landslide)

]]> By: Rod. http://listverse.com/2007/10/25/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-173485 Rod. Sun, 17 May 2009 16:34:32 +0000 http://listverse.com/politics/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-173485 Why No Disraeli? Why No Disraeli?

]]> By: PC http://listverse.com/2007/10/25/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-169436 PC Wed, 06 May 2009 15:19:30 +0000 http://listverse.com/politics/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-169436 The referendum was in 1975 under Wilson. While I grant you Heath did campaign for staying in he did not ask us. You want proof... Link-http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/6/newsid_2499000/2499297.stm I quote from this "Just over 67% of voters supported the Labour government's campaign to stay in the EEC, or Common Market, despite several cabinet ministers having come out in favour of British withdrawal. The result was later hailed by Prime Minister Harold Wilson as a "historic decision"." And you call ME uninformed. The referendum was in 1975 under Wilson. While I grant you Heath did campaign for staying in he did not ask us.
You want proof…

Link-http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/6/newsid_2499000/2499297.stm

I quote from this
“Just over 67% of voters supported the Labour government’s campaign to stay in the EEC, or Common Market, despite several cabinet ministers having come out in favour of British withdrawal.

The result was later hailed by Prime Minister Harold Wilson as a “historic decision”.”

And you call ME uninformed.

]]> By: tell-the-marines http://listverse.com/2007/10/25/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-169264 tell-the-marines Wed, 06 May 2009 04:37:23 +0000 http://listverse.com/politics/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-169264 94. PC - - He also gave the public a vote in whether they wanted to be in the EU. Which heath did not. - Where did you get that idea from? Were you there? My parents and I voted in the Common Market referendum under Heath. How can commentators here be so basically misinformed? 94. PC -

- He also gave the public a vote in whether they wanted to be in the EU. Which heath did not. -

Where did you get that idea from? Were you there? My parents and I voted in the Common Market referendum under Heath. How can commentators here be so basically misinformed?

]]> By: Lemons http://listverse.com/2007/10/25/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-167035 Lemons Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:29:57 +0000 http://listverse.com/politics/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-167035 People can complain about the NHS as much as they like but i think the majority of british people dont realise how lucky we are to have it. I would be shouting my head off about Thatchers inclusion on the list like everyone else if Attle had not been placed above her. And perhaps Thatcher would be better included on a top 10 'influential' british prime ministers list, surely no one can debate that. People can complain about the NHS as much as they like but i think the majority of british people dont realise how lucky we are to have it. I would be shouting my head off about Thatchers inclusion on the list like everyone else if Attle had not been placed above her. And perhaps Thatcher would be better included on a top 10 ‘influential’ british prime ministers list, surely no one can debate that.

]]> By: PC http://listverse.com/2007/10/25/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-164971 PC Tue, 21 Apr 2009 21:55:47 +0000 http://listverse.com/politics/the-top-10-british-prime-ministers/#comment-164971 @Ryan In my own defence I apologise for the use of my language but I stand by my comment. You decided to put Heath and Callaghan in instead of the far better Wilson, Disraeli, Gladstone or peel. I find your arguments for their inclusion poor at best and while I grant you heath at least made a lasting impact all Callaghan did was lead to us having Marge tat Thatcher for 11 years as labour was so hated and out of touch. I am a labour party member and even I realise that Callaghan was hopeless as a leader. How can you include him when you yourself say “His premiership was largely unsuccessful”? I Rest my case. Heath did get us into the EU and give us the far simpler metric system in measurements and money, the fact that he had to make the country run for only 3 days a week says all you need to know about heaths government. His huge argument with the minors at a time when most of our energy came from foreign oil (which was cut off due to the Yom Kippur war) and coal was insane as it resulted in the country having no power, and what made it worse was he chose to do this and then went to the public saying it’s the minors fault. Naturally the public did not believe him. This is not mentioned at all in your article on him and is a blaring exclusion if you are going to fully evaluate his time in office. Both heath and Callaghan also made huge enemies in the trade unions which led to both the 3 day week and the winter of discontent. I would argue for Wilson as he gave solid reforms like removal of the death penalty and the legalisation of abortion and homosexuality. He also gave the public a vote in whether they wanted to be in the EU. Which heath did not. I stand by comments and hope you will respond. @Ryan
In my own defence I apologise for the use of my language but I stand by my comment. You decided to put Heath and Callaghan in instead of the far better Wilson, Disraeli, Gladstone or peel.
I find your arguments for their inclusion poor at best and while I grant you heath at least made a lasting impact all Callaghan did was lead to us having Marge tat Thatcher for 11 years as labour was so hated and out of touch. I am a labour party member and even I realise that Callaghan was hopeless as a leader. How can you include him when you yourself say “His premiership was largely unsuccessful”?
I Rest my case.
Heath did get us into the EU and give us the far simpler metric system in measurements and money, the fact that he had to make the country run for only 3 days a week says all you need to know about heaths government.
His huge argument with the minors at a time when most of our energy came from foreign oil (which was cut off due to the Yom Kippur war) and coal was insane as it resulted in the country having no power, and what made it worse was he chose to do this and then went to the public saying it’s the minors fault. Naturally the public did not believe him. This is not mentioned at all in your article on him and is a blaring exclusion if you are going to fully evaluate his time in office.
Both heath and Callaghan also made huge enemies in the trade unions which led to both the 3 day week and the winter of discontent.
I would argue for Wilson as he gave solid reforms like removal of the death penalty and the legalisation of abortion and homosexuality. He also gave the public a vote in whether they wanted to be in the EU. Which heath did not.
I stand by comments and hope you will respond.

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